HUNTING: MPs have voted in favour of a ban on hunting with dogs so these people and the MPs they bully into submission are a monumental bore (Echo, Jul 4).

It seems if you are anti-hunting you are a bore and a bully. If your MP is against hunting you haven't got a mind of your own.

Extremists, bores, bullies - sounds like the voice of defeat to me. - Brian Spooner, Spennymoor.

THE Chief Constable of North Yorkshire says the police could not enforce a foxhunting ban. Oh, do give over!

The police can't really enforce sensible speeding laws; but no one thinks there should be a free-for-all on the roads.

Surely, hunting on horseback in numbers would be impossible to hide; even if the hunters changed their uniforms to jeans and frilly shirts.

There would also be plenty of police informers to make illegal foxhunting difficult.

The wealthy people at the top of foxhunting should phase out their "sport" in advance of legislation.

I think the state probably stopped execution before the anti-hanging bill got through Parliament. - M Nottingham, Lincoln.

DEFENCE CONTRACT

I READ with interest that we are going to have to make do with smaller aircraft carriers, as these are weapons of aggression.

What new adventures has Tony Blair got planned for us? Who are we going to free next?

When are we going to have a government that knows we are an island nation not capable of policing the world? We are a nation with so many problems in education, health, transport and crime.

Mr Blair, you can be a great Prime Minister of a nation that knows its place in the world. But we can only afford to be a more inward looking nation. - M Shroeder, Bishop Auckland.

EMPLOYMENT

THE Northern region suffered job losses in the mining industries and, more recently, we have lost thousands of jobs in both textiles and other manufacturing industries.

Spennymoor, the town I represent, has lost thousands of jobs, without any major new investment.

I understand that One NorthEast is carrying out a survey on the Green Lane Industrial Estate at Spennymoor and hopefully we may receive some new investment to replace the recent Black & Decker job losses.

I frequently talk to many young people who have studied at university and are now employed part-time, on low wages, without any worthwhile career prospects. Many are having to move south for work.

The Government must amend the Barnett Formula. This region loses £1bn a year, simply because this formula has not been updated since it was introduced in 1978. As a result, this region loses out on industry, education, NHS grants, etc under a Labour government voted in to improve the quality of life of its Northern constituents. - Coun Ben Ord, Liberal Democrat, Sedgefield Borough Council.

LITTER

READING your report (Echo, Jul 5) on Chester-le-Street's campaign against litter bugs and careless dog owners, I have to say I've seen no additional staff patrolling the town centre market areas.

Two male wardens carry out this function on a part-time basis.

Their full-time duties are as car park attendants.

At weekends after 4pm streets are strewn with discarded rubbish, cigarette ends etc, the aftermath of pub-crawlers and other members of the public.

The popular riverside promenade is similarly blighted but also requires attention to uncut grass, weeds and nettles along walkways, parapet walls and under seating.

After dusk rats are seen raiding open litter bins. - R Green, Chester-le-Street.

RURAL ECONOMY

TRADITIONAL English family values are under attack now as never before, just like the way of life, based on the traditional English countryside, that nourished them: under attack from ruthless greed, as embodied in intensive farming, and from liberal elitism.

As for their self-proclaimed defenders, the Conservative Party and the Countryside Alliance, they are hypocrites.

Wasn't it a Conservative government that took us into the Common Market? And a Conservative minister of transport who destroyed our rural rail network? And what has the Countryside Alliance ever done to stop the appalling haemorrhage of rural services?

All who genuinely love old England need to come together in her defence. - Tony Kelly, Crook.

LABOUR PARTY

WHEN left-wingers took charge of the trade unions in 1979 their aim was to topple Jim Callaghan's Labour Government.

They achieved their aim by creating the Winter of Discontent and by destroying the government. They also destroyed themselves, because their actions resulted in Margaret Thatcher becoming Prime Minister.

The Iron Lady made mincemeat of the incompetent union leaders, resulting in the closure of many coal mines, shipyards and the run down of the steel industry.

The unions were unable to prevent the Tories selling off the nation's assets, such as water, gas and the railways.

Having toppled an evil regime in Iraq, we must now be aware of the enemy within. The loony lefties aim to take over the Government under the guise of old Labour. - B Hope, Hetton-le-Hole.